Customizing a library discovery layer using open-source software enables libraries to tailor services to its users, understand user behavior at user, department, and campus levels, and build integrations with library and campus services. Learn how and why a research library built a discovery interface to consolidate multiple interfaces into one.

This presentation was given on March 5, 2018 at the conference Electronic Resources & Libraries, in Austin, TX.

12.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
Politics & Governance
● Spoiler alert: Everyone has an interest in discovery
● Library created a project “steering team” with about a dozen
members from across the library
● The active “project team” is part of the steering team, but is
the group of us that is doing the research & development

14.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
Goals of New Discovery Environment
● Enable detailed usage information to contribute to library and
learning analytics
● Establish a better understanding of how our resources are
used
● Improve our ability to expose resources and expertise with
the campus
● Free up instructional librarians to spend more time on
information literacy and less on how to use the tool

15.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
Goals of New Discovery Environment (cont.)
● Improve accessibility and responsive design for all users
● Allow for personalized search pages -- build your own bento
box from anything we offer
● Allow us to more easily pull stats from each datastore for
library and learning analytics
● Enable us to better understand usage patterns of our
resources

17.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
From Vision to Prototype
We started with a working prototype
Grayscale functioning tool that demonstrated the core
functionality
Took it on a road show -- about 20 meetings with 175 of 450
library staff
Validation of direction
So then we scrapped it and remade it

18.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
Search Project Team
Established a team to guide the tool’s development
Drawn from across the library
Roles
● Set functional specifications
● Provided feedback on designs & early developments
● Brought library voice to our user-driven research

19.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
UX Successes
● Iterative process
○ Put prototypes in front of stakeholders and users more quickly to
inform design changes
○ Set up feedback mechanisms for library staff to provide feedback
● Relationships
○ Improved credibility with other library staff by including them in
usability tests and sharing results frequently
○ Created a shared understanding on project team
○ Recruited repeat participants for different studies - they 💖 libraries

20.
@varnum @vacekrae @UMichLibrary
Agile Development Process
Two-week long sprints
● Start with a planning meeting
● End with a retrospective
● Merged into one meeting
Regular “grooming” sessions
● 60-90 minute meeting a week
● Do we have right work described to get the next goal done?
● Regular reprioritization
Daily Slack stand-ups
It’s a learning process (at least for me)